Monira Foundation Virtual Stage Presents Pegasus: The Orchestra’s Fourth Season
FOLK INSPIRATIONS – Chamber Series
Join Pegasus’s concertmaster—Eiko Kano (violin) and principal – Moran Katz (clarinet) with founder and artistic director Karén Hakobyan (piano)—for a creative program inspired by Folk Music. Listeners will be swept from the intricate Spanish folk melodies of de Falla to the raw and energetic Romanian melodies of Bartók; from the joyful Armenian folk melodies of Khachaturian to Lutoslawski’s bold and modern approach to folk music. Program will also feature works by Rachmaninoff, Piazzolla, Kovács and Bagdasarian.
Special note from Pegasus:
We would like to dedicate our concert FOLK INSPIRATIONS to honor the memory of Dr. Vartan Gregorian (1934-2021). A true visionary, a great humanitarian, enlightened educator with honorary doctorates, and national honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A person who saved the New York Public Library, the president of Brown University and Carnegie Corporation. One of the co-founders of Aurora Prize, a champion of human rights and a proud Armenian who always supported the community in every way possible.
*Stream Premiere Date – Friday May 21st, 2021 8:00 PM
*Will stay active for 2 weeks to subscribers, a link will be e-mailed after ticket purchase.
*Stream Venue – YouTube
PROGRAM:
RACHMANINOFF Vocalise for violin and piano
FALLA Dance Espagnole for violin and piano
BAGDASARIAN Rhapsody for violin and piano
PERFORMERS:
EIKO KANO: Critically-acclaimed violinist, prizewinner of international competitions, assistant concertmaster of Albany Symphony.
“Electrifying intensity and lyrical expression” —Kyoto Newspaper
MORAN KATZ: Distinguished clarinetist with performances in top concert halls around the world, winner of multiple international competitions.
“A Master Clarinetist…Remember the name: Moran Katz. She is terrific…” -Sedgwick Clark, Musical America
KAREN HAKOBYAN: award-winning pianist and composer, founder and conductor of Pegasus: e Orchestra.
“A musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” —New York Concert Review
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES:
Eiko Kano, violin
Praised as an artist with “electrifying intensity and lyrical expression” by Kyoto Newspaper and “mesmerizing interpreter” by Ongakuno-Tomo Magazine, Japanese violinist Eiko Kano is known for her sensational and dynamic performances. Eiko has a thriving international career as a soloist as well as a chamber musician frequently collaborating with distinguished artists such as principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic Albrecht Meyer, Eugene Drucker of the Emerson Quartet and Glenn Dicterow.
She is a top prizewinner of international competitions such as the 4th International Competition of Tokyo among others. As a result of winning the prestigious Forval Scholarship, Eiko was granted the Stradivarius “Reinville” violin. She serves as an assistant concertmaster in Albany Symphony Orchestra as well as regularly plays in the New York Philharmonic. Eiko is the concertmaster and senior artistic advisor of Pegasus: The Orchestra. Eiko has received BM and MM degrees from Manhattan School of Music and is a long-time resident of New York.
In 2016, she launched the critically acclaimed production titled “A Manhattan Story” with unique style of violin music with original storytelling. The first album “Winter” was released in 2017 followed by “Spring” in 2018: both being featured in the audio program on all international JAL flights. In 2018, Eiko founded a new ensemble, The New Yorkers, featuring Karén Hakobyan as her duo partner. Since then they have been performing extensively in USA and touring Japan.
As a recognition of her achievements, Eiko was loaned the precious “Wilhelmj” Stradivarius violin by Nippon Music Foundation. Her rare and mesmerizing video production of Bach Chaconne filmed in the prestigious Kyoto temple Zenrin-ji (Eikando) was featured in the Strad digital magazine in 2020. Eiko Kano was recently appointed as the music ambassador of the OIST Foundation. http://www.eikonyc.com
Moran Katz, clarinet
First Prize winner of the 2013 Ima Hogg Competition, Clarinetist Moran Katz also received the Audience Choice Prize as well as the Artistic Encouragement Prize voted on by the Houston Symphony musicians. In the year of 2009 alone, Ms. Katz won the First Prize at the Freiburg International Clarinet Competition in Germany, the Second Prize at the Beijing International Music Competition for Clarinet in China and the First Prize and Overall Prize at the Midland/Odessa “National Young Artist Competition” in Texas.
Her performance credits include recitals for the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., the Dame Myra Hess Recital Series in Chicago, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Rhinebeck Chamber Music Society and the Fine Arts Recital Series in Sarasota, FL; a NY debut recital at Merkin Concert Hall as part of the Tuesday Matinee Recital Series and a Debut at the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic. Chamber Music appearances at the United Nations Hall (Switzerland), France’s “Les Musicales” Festival in Colmar, Les Invalides in Paris and Palais des Fetes in Strasburg, Marlboro Music Festival, Canandaigua’s Lake Music Festival, Cooperstown Music Festival, Mt. Desert Music Festival, Roaring Hooves Festival in Mongolia, the Two Days and Two Nights Festival in the Ukraine, Music in Drumcliffe (Ireland), Homburg Musiktage (Germany), New York’s Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MoMa, Symphony Space, Miller Theater and Bargemusic, among others.
She received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Charles Neidich and was admitted with presidential distinction and a full scholarship. Ms. Katz was a member of Ensemble ACJW–The Academy, a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the NYC department of Education, performing chamber music at Carnegie Hall and bringing classical music to students in the NYC public schools. Ms. Katz was on the faculty of Vassar College (2016-19) and coached chamber music groups at the Juilliard Pre College division.
Karén Hakobyan, piano
Described as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review, and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News, Armenian American pianist, composer, and conductor Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of seventeen, he has performed in major concert halls in Armenia, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, UK, Belgium, France, Japan, and the US. Karén regularly appears in prestigious festivals and concert series. Some of his festival performance highlights include: the “Lille International Piano(s) Festival” in 2005 (Lille, France), “The Pianist as Composer” Festival in 2008 (New York), Keys to the Future” Contemporary Music Festival in 2009-2010 (New York), the Gina Bachauer International Festival in 2015 (Utah), Festival Musique d’Abord in 2017 (Barbizon, France) and the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts in 2018 (California).
He is a top prizewinner of multiple international piano and composition competitions and holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the University of Utah. Karén has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras across several continents. His performances have been broadcasted on WQXR Radio (New York City), WMFT Radio (Chicago), WSKG Radio (New York), Argentine National Radio, Monterrey’s (Mexico) Op. 102 station, Armenian National Radio, Al Jazeera TV, Public TV of Armenia and Voice of America TV (International).
He is the Founder, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of Pegasus: the Orchestra, based in New York. www.karenhakobyan.com
